Stockwinners Market Radar for January 22, 2025 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:33 EST Inspire Veterinary announces 1-for-25 reverse stock split - Inspire Veterinary announced that it will effect a 1-for-25 reverse stock split of its authorized and issued and outstanding shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share. The Reverse Stock Split will become effective at 12:01am, Eastern Time, on January 27, 2025.

17:39 EST Ardelyx director buys $992.7K in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Ardelyx disclosed that its director David Mott bought 199K shares of common stock on January 21st in a total transaction size of $992.7K. Shares of Ardelyx are up 9% afterhours at $5.50.

17:26 EST Arrowhead up 4% at $20.51 after entry into S&P SmallCap 600 index

17:19 EST Guidewire to replace Arrowhead in S&P 400 index at open on 1/27

17:02 EST Steel Dynamics sees increased demand across operating platforms in 2025 - "We believe the market dynamics are in place to support increased demand across our operating platforms in 2025," said CEO Millett. "Steel pricing has stabilized, and customer optimism continues to be solid across our steel operations, as demand continues to be steady. In addition, we believe demand for lower-carbon emission, U.S. produced steel products will also support future domestic steel pricing. The continued onshoring of manufacturing businesses, combined with the expectation of significant fixed asset investment to be derived from public funding related to the U.S. Infrastructure, Inflation Reduction Act, and Department of Energy programs, will competitively position the domestic steel industry. We believe current trade actions could also reduce volumes of unfairly traded steel imports into the United States, especially for coated flat rolled steel, which could have a significant positive impact for us, as we are the largest non-automotive flat rolled steel coater in the United States. We believe these broader dynamics will benefit all of our operating platforms, especially our steel and steel fabrication businesses. Our four new value-added flat rolled steel coating lines that began operating in the first half of 2024 continue to increase volume. The teams produced prime quality galvanized and painted products on all four lines in record time. We have had limited benefit from these new lines as production ramped but expect to realize the full run-rate earnings potential in 2025. Value-added product investments such as these enhance our differentiated supply-chain capabilities, while also increasing our higher-margin product offerings, which already represent over 65 percent of our steel revenues. Our aluminum team is executing exceptionally well. The team successfully cast their first industrial and beverage can ingots on Cast Complex #1 in Columbus, Mississippi, on January 12, 2025," said Millett. "We plan to continue commissioning throughout the facility during the coming months, and to produce commercially viable products before mid-year 2025. This represents a meaningful growth opportunity for us, which is aligned with our existing business and operational expertise. We have intentionally grown with our customers' needs, providing efficient sustainable supply chain solutions for the highest quality products. We are pleased to further diversify our end markets with plans to supply aluminum flat rolled products with high recycled content to the countercyclical sustainable beverage can and packaging industry, in addition to the automotive, industrial, and construction sectors. Our customers and our people are incredibly excited for this growth opportunity. Our commitment is to the health and safety of our teams, families, and communities, while meeting the current and future needs of our customers. Our culture and business model continue to positively differentiate our performance compared to others. We continue to strengthen our financial position through strong cash flow generation and the execution of our long-term strategy," concluded Millett.

17:00 EST Steel Dynamics reports Q4 EPS $1.36, consensus $1.63 - Reports Q4 revenue $3.9B, consensus $3.96B. "The teams achieved solid operational and financial performance across our operating platforms during 2024, resulting in annual net sales of $17.5 billion, operating income of $1.9 billion, and adjusted EBITDA of $2.5 billion," said Mark Millett, Co-founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer. "Based on the team's performance, we demonstrated the strength and consistency of our cash generation with annual cash flow from operations of $1.8 billion and liquidity of $2.2 billion. All while continuing to grow our business with significant organic growth investments, coupled with strong shareholder distributions through our positive dividend growth profile and meaningful share repurchases. We have a firm foundation for our continued long-term growth and ongoing value creation strategy.

16:44 EST EA says 'Dragon Age: The Veilguard' sales were 50% lower than expectations - EA's initial guidance for fiscal year 2025 anticipated mid-single-digit growth in live services net bookings. However, the company now projects a mid-single-digit decline, with Global Football accounting for the majority of the change. Global Football had experienced two consecutive fiscal years of double-digit net bookings growth. However, the franchise experienced a slowdown as early momentum in the fiscal third quarter did not sustain through to the end. As a result, EA revises its outlook for Global Football to end the fiscal year down mid-single-digit at the midpoint of the new outlook. Separately, Dragon Age engaged approximately 1.5 million players during the quarter, down nearly 50% from the company's expectations.

16:37 EST Amalgamated Financial boosts dividend 17% to 14c per share - Amalgamated Financial announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a 2c increase, or 17%, in the Company's quarterly dividend to 14c per common share, payable by the Company on February 27 to stockholders of record on February 11. The amount and timing of any future dividend payments to stockholders will be subject to the discretion of the Board of Directors.

16:35 EST New Fortress Energy signs gas supply pact with Energiza in Puerto Rico - New Fortress Energy announced the execution of a 20-year gas supply agreement with Energiza to provide natural gas to a 478 MW combined-cycle power plant being developed in San Juan, Puerto Rico, located adjacent to NFE's existing San Juan LNG import terminal. The Energiza power plant will be the first power plant constructed in Puerto Rico since 1995 and is expected to commence operations in 2028. "The long-term partnership between Energiza and NFE will greatly benefit Puerto Rico and we're excited to be part of this historic milestone," said Wes Edens, Chairman and CEO of New Fortress Energy. "This power plant will serve as a much-needed cleaner, reliable, and efficient power source to enhance Puerto Rico's aging power system."

16:32 EST Better Home & Finance announces $25M share repurchase program - Better Home & Finance Holding Company announced that its board of directors approved a $25M share repurchase program. Better may repurchase shares of Class A common stock from time to time, at management's discretion, through open market purchases or privately negotiated transactions, including accelerated repurchase transactions, block trades or trading plans intended to qualify under Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The timing and total amount of share repurchases will be based on ongoing evaluation of general market conditions, prevailing prices of the Class A common stock, Better's capital needs and other factors. The share repurchase program expires on December 31, 2025, may be modified, suspended, or discontinued at any time at the Company's discretion. "We believe we are in a new era for homeownership in America, where AI-driven mortgage solutions which make homeownership more affordable and more accessible will be at the forefront," said Vishal Garg, CEO and Founder of Better. "As such, we believe Better is poised to be a significant beneficiary of the coming deregulation in financial services and housing. This buyback will both provide liquidity to the market for our stock and demonstrates to the market our belief that the stock is currently undervalued considering Better's strong capital position, the prospects of growing our B2B business, our technology advantage vis-a-vis the traditional mortgage industry, and our deployment of AI across the entire organization to streamline and make the homeownership journey better for all Americans."

16:32 EST Colony Bankcorp raises quarterly dividend to 11.5c per share - Colony Bankcorp announced that on January 22, 2025, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of 11.5c per share, to be paid on its common stock on February 19, 2025, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on February 5, 2025. The company had 17,520,136 shares of its common stock outstanding as of January 20, 2025.

16:27 EST Lovesac director Krause sells 30,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Lovesac director Albert Jack Krause disclosed the sale of 30,000 common shares of the company on January 17 at a price of $26.33 per share.

16:23 EST Tiziana Life Sciences announces discovery of new immune biomarkers - Tiziana Life Sciences announced the discovery of new immune biomarkers in patients with non-active secondary progressive multiple sclerosis treated with nasal foralumab. The company believes these findings contribute to its understanding of the immune mechanisms underlying the effects of nasal foralumab. The study identified gene expression changes which were detected beginning three months after intranasal dosing of foralumab in its ongoing expanded access program. Key findings include modulation of: FoxP3 T regulatory cells; CD4+ and CD8+ central memory T cells; CD14+ and CD14- monocytes and Naive B cells.These pathways are known to be associated with antigen presentation, interferon responses, and other regulatory immune mechanisms. In this study, single-cell RNA sequencing of peripheral blood samples taken before and at three and six months after drug administration has revealed relevant gene expression changes associated with nasal foralumab, which has been associated with a reduction in microglial brain inflammation, as measured by advanced microglial PET scans in these same patients.

16:20 EST Alcoa up 4% at $40.31 after Q4 earnings beat

16:19 EST Alcoa sees FY25 Alumina production 9.5M-9.7M MT vs. 10.03MT in FY24 - The company states: "Alcoa expects 2025 total Alumina segment production to range between 9.5 to 9.7 million metric tons, a decrease from 2024 due to the curtailment of the Kwinana refinery. In 2025, alumina shipments are expected to be between 13.1 and 13.3 million metric tons, consistent with 2024. The difference between production and shipments reflects trading volumes and externally sourced alumina to fulfill customer contracts due to the curtailment of the Kwinana refinery. Alcoa expects 2025 total Aluminum segment production to range between 2.3 and 2.5 million metric tons, an increase from 2024 due to smelter restarts. In 2025, aluminum shipments are expected to range between 2.6 and 2.8 million metric tons. Within the first quarter 2025 Alumina Segment Adjusted EBITDA, the Company expects sequential favorable impacts of $30 million due to the absence of a charge to write down certain inventories to their net realizable value, partially offset by the typical first quarter impacts from the beginning of maintenance cycles and lower shipments. For the first quarter 2025, the Aluminum Segment expects sequential unfavorable impacts of $60 million due to the non-recurrence of the fourth quarter 2024 benefit from the IRA 45X credit, lower seasonal pricing at Brazil hydro-electric facilities, and the absence of Ma'aden offtake volumes due to the announced transaction."

16:18 EST Oneok increases quarterly dividend 4% to $1.03 per share - Oneok increased its quarterly dividend to $1.03 per share, an increase of 4%. This increase results in an annualized dividend of $4.12 per share. The dividend is payable Feb. 14 to shareholders of record at the close of business Feb. 3. To date, ONEOK has repurchased 1.675 million shares of its outstanding common stock for $171.7M with cash on hand. The repurchases are part of the company's $2B share repurchase authorization, which it expects to largely utilize over the next three years.

16:17 EST Alcoa reports Q4 Alumina production down 2% from Q3 - The company states: "Alumina production decreased 2% sequentially to 2.39 million metric tons. In the Aluminum segment, production increased 2 percent sequentially to 571,000 metric tons primarily due to continued progress on the Alumar, Brazil smelter restart. In the Alumina segment, third-party shipments of alumina increased 12% sequentially primarily due to increased trading. In Aluminum, total shipments were flat sequentially at 641,000 metric tons."

16:10 EST Oneok's acquisition of EnLink Midstream recommended by ISS; Glass Lewis - Oneok (OKE) and EnLink Midstream (ENLC) announced that the two leading independent proxy advisory firms, ISS and Glass Lewis, have recommended that EnLink unitholders vote in favor of Oneok's pending acquisition of the remaining publicly held common units of EnLink at the upcoming Special Meeting of EnLink Unitholders. The Special Meeting is scheduled to take place on Jan. 30 and will be held virtually. The EnLink Board of Directors and the Conflicts Committee of the EnLink Board of Directors unanimously recommend that unitholders vote for all proposals provided in detail in the definitive proxy statement related to the Special Meeting. Completion of the acquisition is subject to the approval of a majority of the outstanding EnLink common units including common units owned by Oneok and other customary closing conditions. No Oneok shareholder vote is required to complete the transaction. The transaction is expected to close soon after the Special Meeting, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of all other closing conditions.

16:04 EST Banner Corp. up 3% at $72.09 after Q4 earnings beat

16:04 EST Banner Corp. reports Q4 net interest margin 3.82% vs. 3.83% last year - The allowance for credit losses - loans was $155.5 million, or 1.37% of total loans receivable, as of December 31, 2024, compared to $154.6 million, or 1.38% of total loans receivable, as of September 30, 2024 and $149.6 million, or 1.38% of total loans receivable, as of December 31, 2023. A $3.0 million provision for credit losses was recorded in the current quarter (comprised of a $3.2 million provision for credit losses - loans, a $203,000 recapture of provision for credit losses - unfunded loan commitments and a $16,000 recapture of provision for credit losses - held-to-maturity debt securities). This compares to a $1.7 million provision for credit losses in the prior quarter (comprised of a $2.0 million provision for credit losses - loans, a $262,000 recapture of provision for credit losses - unfunded loan commitments and a $13,000 recapture of provision for credit losses - held-to-maturity debt securities) and a $2.5 million provision for credit losses in the fourth quarter a year ago.

16:01 EST Republic Bancorp raises quarterly Class A dividend 11% to 45.1c per share - Republic Bancorp announced an 11% increase in the company's quarterly cash dividends. The quarterly cash dividend of 45.1c per share of Class A Common Stock and 41c per share on Class B Common Stock will be payable April 18, 2025, to shareholders of record as of March 21, 2025. The increased cash dividend results in an annualized dividend yield for the Class A Common stock of 2.61% based upon the stock's closing price on January 21, 2025. "We are excited to announce an increase in our quarterly cash dividends for the 27th consecutive year. We are proud of our continuing success and excited to once again share in this success with our shareholders through an increased dividend," commented Logan Pichel, CEO for Republic Bank.

15:15 EST S.C. power producer Santee Cooper looks to restart nuclear for AI demand - South Carolina power producer Santee Cooper, is looking to restart two nuclear reactors amid growing U.S. interest in bringing nuclear power online to meet growing electricity needs of AI data center growth. Santee Cooper said in part, earlier on Wednesday: Santee Cooper has engaged Centerview Partners to conduct a Request for Proposal or RFP seeking parties interested in acquiring the project and related assets, and potentially completing one or both units or pursuing alternative uses of the assets. Responses will be due to Centerview on May 5. "We are seeing renewed interest in nuclear energy, fueled by advanced manufacturing investments, AI-driven data center demand, and the tech industry's zero-carbon targets," said President and CEO Jimmy Staton. "Considering the long timelines required to bring new nuclear units online, Santee Cooper has a unique opportunity to explore options for Summer Units 2 and 3 and their related assets that could allow someone to generate reliable, carbon emissions-free electricity on a meaningfully shortened timeline." The Fly notes that Tech companies like Microsoft (MSFT), Google (GOOG), Amazon (AMZN) and Meta (META) hope nuclear power will offer a cleaner energy solution for large scale energy use. Reference Link

14:21 EST NRG Energy boosts quarterly dividend 8% to 44c per share - NRG Energy announced that its board of directors declared a quarterly dividend on the company's common stock of 44c per share, or $1.76 per share on an annualized basis. This dividend represents an 8% increase from the prior year, in line with the company's previously announced annual dividend growth rate target of 7-9% per share, NRG stated. The dividend is payable on February 18 to stockholders of record as of February 3.

13:47 EST Essity CEO Magnus Groth to leave company - After 14 years with the group, and almost ten years as president and CEO, Magnus Groth has informed the Board of Directors of Essity that he has decided to step down as CEO and from the Board during 2025. A recruitment process for a successor will be initiated immediately. "As President and CEO of first SCA and then Essity, Magnus has successfully listed and led Essity on a significant journey of change over the past 10 years to increase profitability, growth and innovation. Through his leadership and commitment, Magnus has played an important role in creating the platform that Essity has for continued global profitable expansion", said Jan Gurander, Chairman of the Board. "The Board of Directors extends its gratitude for Magnus valuable contributions as President and CEO." "It has been very stimulating to work as President and CEO since 2015, first for SCA and then for Essity, and I especially appreciate the collaboration with colleagues all over the world," says Magnus Groth. "Essity is today a world-leading hygiene and health company with strong brands and market positions, great employees and recognized sustainability work, reflected in profitable growth. After 14 years with the company and ten years as CEO, I consider this a suitable time to embark on a new chapter for me and for Essity." Magnus Groth has a notice period of one year. He will continue as President and CEO of Essity until a successor is appointed.

13:32 EST North American rail traffic up 25.1% for the week ending January 18 - The Association of American Railroads or AAR, reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending January 18. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 500,160 carloads and intermodal units, up 25.9% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending January 18 were 216,457 carloads, up 25.1% compared with the same week in 2024, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 283,703 containers and trailers, up 26.5% compared to 2024. All of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2024. They included coal, up 11,698 carloads, to 59,223; chemicals, up 6,334 carloads, to 34,150; and nonmetallic minerals, up 6,001 carloads, to 24,622. North American rail volume for the week ending January 18, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 323,633 carloads, up 22.9% compared with the same week last year, and 368,180 intermodal units, up 27% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 691,813 carloads and intermodal units, up 25.1%. North American rail volume for the first three weeks of 2025 was 1,928,692 carloads and intermodal units, up 8.9% compared with 2024. Publicly traded companies in the space include CN (CNI), CSX (CSX), Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CP), Norfolk Southern (NSC), Union Pacific (UNP), FreightCar America (RAIL), Greenbrier (GBX), Trinity Industries (TRN), Wabtec (WAB) and Rail Vision (RVSN)... Reference Link

13:23 EST China Liberal Education Holdings Ltd trading halted, volatility trading pause

13:05 EST RCI Hospitality closes acquisition of Detroit's Flight Club for $11M - RCI Hospitality announced closing on the acquisition of Flight Club, s gentlemen's club in the Detroit market, 5 miles from Detroit Metro Airport and 20 miles from downtown, casinos and major sports venues. The purchase price totaled $11M, consisting of $3M cash and $5M seller financing at 8.0% for the club, and $3M cash for associated real estate. The company expects the acquisition to contribute an estimated $2M in annualized adjusted EBITDA.

12:22 EST Google Fiber says network construction underway in Las Vegas - Alphabet's Google Fiber announced that network construction is officially underway in Las Vegas, Nevada. "We've broken ground on the west side of the city, with construction to follow in additional parts of Clark County next month," the company said in a blog post. "Google Fiber announced agreements with both the City of Las Vegas and Clark County in 2024. Now that construction has officially begun, we will continue to work closely with the city and county to build our network while minimizing disruption to residents. GFiber service will be available in parts of the metro area later this year. Nevada residents and business owners will be able to choose between Google Fiber's plans with prices that haven't changed since 2012 and speeds up to 8 gig." Reference Link

12:02 EST INNOVATE Corp. rises 9.6% - INNOVATE Corp. is up 9.6%, or 91c to $10.43.

12:01 EST Sunlands Online rises 19.7% - Sunlands Online is up 19.7%, or $1.09 to $6.62.

12:00 EST IonQ falls -9.1% - IonQ is down -9.1%, or -$4.13 to $41.18.

11:50 EST Valneva reports Phase 2 results in children for its chikungunya vaccine - Valneva announced results for its Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating the safety and immunogenicity of two different dose levels of its single-shot chikungunya vaccine, IXCHIQ, in 304 children. Partially funded by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, with support from the European Union, the trial is intended to support a pivotal Phase 3 study in children, which the Company expects to initiate in the fourth quarter of 2025, with the objective to extend the product label to this age group. Trial VLA1553-221 met its primary endpoint, demonstrating that the vaccine was well tolerated by children aged one to eleven years regardless of the dose or previous chikungunya infection, and, to a similar extent, to an active control MenACYW vaccine. Overall, the safety profile was consistent with the profile observed in Valneva's pivotal Phase 3 trials in adults and adolescents. An independent Data Safety Monitoring Board rigorously monitored safety data throughout the trial and confirmed the absence of any safety concerns. Valneva's vaccine was highly immunogenic in both dose groups. A full dose of the vaccine exhibited a more robust immune response compared to a half dose by providing protective antibody titers already at Day 15 and Day 29 post-vaccination, confirming the immunogenicity previously observed inadults and adolescents. The comparability of the full and half dose in post-vaccination safety and tolerability, along with the more pronounced immune response of the full dose observed for all age groups tested in children, confirm the suitability of the full dose for this population and led to the selection of this dose for the pivotal Phase 3 evaluation in participants aged one to eleven years. IXCHIQ is the world's first and only licensed chikungunya vaccine available to address this significant unmet medical need. It is currently approved in the U.S., Europe, and Canada in adults 18 years of age and older. Brazil has reported the highest number of chikungunya cases, with over one million cases between January 2019 and July 2024, followed by India with 370,000 cases during the same period. This number is rapidly increasing due to the current outbreak in the Indian states of Maharashtra and Telangana, for which the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a travel notice after identifying higher-than-expected numbers of chikungunya cases in returning travelers. An active outbreak was recently declared on the French island La Reunion. Valneva expects to receive marketing approval in Brazil and the United Kingdom in the first quarter of the year and submitted label extension applications to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the European Medicines Agency and Health Canada in 2024 to potentially broaden the use of IXCHIQ to adolescents aged 12 to 17 years. Earlier this week, the Company reported Phase 3 data in adolescents one year after a single vaccination, confirming the long-lasting antibody response observed in adults.

11:34 EST CoStar Group announces client partnership with Bray Fox Smith - CoStar Group announced a new client partnership with Bray Fox Smith. This partnership will allow Bray Fox Smith to leverage CoStar's unrivalled commercial real estate data and analytics platform to drive business growth and deliver enhanced advisory services. With access to CoStar's extensive insights on property values, market conditions, occupancy levels, and availability, Bray Fox Smith's team will be well-equipped to uncover a greater number of new opportunities and better understand value in the market.

11:10 EST United Airlines says not planning investor day in near-term

10:57 EST United Airlines sees 2025 free cash flow $3.4B

10:51 EST United sees 2-3 points of CASM-ex pressure from labor agreements for FY25

10:42 EST United Airlines sees domestic RASM turning solidly positive in Q1

10:39 EST United Airlines CEO sees plane, engine constraints through end of decade

10:37 EST United Airlines sees growing EPS 18% at midpoint this year

10:36 EST United Airlines CEO sees international environment 'far stronger for longer' - CEO Scott Kirby says widebody supply even more challenged than narrowbody. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

10:26 EST North Bay Resources to acquire 70% interest in the Bishop Gold Mill - CMC Metals has entered into a share purchase agreement with North Bay Resources to acquire an additional 14.5% of the Bishop Gold Mill. This brings NBRI's total ownership to 70%. The remaining 30 % of the mill will be owned by 1436132 B.C. Ltd, a privately held corporation. The 96 ton per day mill is located north of Bishop, California. NBRI has recently acquired and installed additional gold extraction equipment including a centrifuge in the gravity circuit. Based on a December 2024 metallurgical study NBRI has estimated a 97% recovery of gold from their Fran Gold Project at the Bishop mill. NBRI has estimated material from the Fran Gold Project to have a head grade of 0.9 ounces of gold per ton. Material from the Fran Project has been recently transported to the Bishop mill for test processing. The Company has entered into an agreement with NBRI and the current minority owner 1436132 BC Ltd., a private Canadian company, for NBRI to acquire an additional 14.5% of 0877887 BC. The primary asset of 087 is the Bishop Gold Mill. Within this transaction, North Bay acquires a total interest of 70% of 087, in addition to prior payments and issuances to date, by assuming the amended cash payments and common share transfers to CMC as follows: Cash Payments: $12,500 payable on signing; $12,500 payable on February 15, 2025; $12,500 payable on April 1, 2025; $50,000 payable on July 7, 2025; $25,000 payable August 15, 2025; $50,000 payable September 25, 2025. Share Payment: $200,000 CAD in common shares of North Bay to be delivered on signing at a foreign exchange rate CAD/USD of $0.70 and share price of $0.0009 totaling 155,555,556 Restricted Common Shares of NBRI subject to a minimum hold period of 1 year and representing approximately 2% of NBRI common shares outstanding. As a result of this final arrangement between the parties, upon completion of the cash and share payments CMC will no longer hold a security interest in the Mill. After this acquisition, CMC will hold a total of 1,275,555,556 common shares of NBRI. NBRI remains the Operator of the Mill.

10:18 EST Nutriband Inc trading resumes

10:09 EST Workera announces strategic investment from Accenture - Workera announced a strategic investment from Accenture. This multi-faceted alliance includes a strategic investment by Accenture, a reseller collaboration enabling Accenture to deliver Workera's solutions to clients globally, and a technology integration establishing Workera as the official skills intelligence layer within Accenture's LearnVantage platform. Together, the companies aim to accelerate the adoption of skills-first strategies, helping organizations navigate the complexities of today's talent landscape.

10:00 EST Four Seasons Education falls -5.7% - Four Seasons Education is down -5.7%, or -59c to $9.71.

10:00 EST Pediatrix Medical falls -11.5% - Pediatrix Medical is down -11.5%, or -$3.64 to $28.12.

10:00 EST Sable Offshore rises 11.9% - Sable Offshore is up 11.9%, or $3.12 to $29.30.

09:59 EST Abbott sees FY25 tax rate 16%-17% - Says well-positioned to deliver another year of growth. Says made great progress expanding gross margin profile. Says looking forward to 2025. Says Libre 3 doing pretty well and will continue to get better. Says Lingo doing better than expected. Says EP business outperformed a lot of analyst expectations. Comments and guidance taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

09:48 EST Four Seasons Education falls -5.7% - Four Seasons Education is down -5.7%, or -59c to $9.71.

09:48 EST Ally Financial rises 8.2% - Ally Financial is up 8.2%, or $3.13 to $41.31.

09:47 EST D-Wave Quantum rises 11.4% - D-Wave Quantum is up 11.4%, or 72c to $7.01.

09:40 EST BGM Group Ltd trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:33 EST MacKenzie Realty provides update on Aurora at Green Valley - MacKenzie Realty Capital announces an update on its development called Aurora at Green Valley, in Fairfield, CA. The company said, "Our Aurora project is progressing on schedule with no delays. The schedule continues to indicate occupancy will begin during the third quarter for the first residential building, with the other two buildings delivered by the end of the year. Sunrise Center clubhouse, with leasing offices, is scheduled to be delivered 45 days prior to the first residential building to assist in leasing activities. That building already has drywall installed. Indoor and outdoor furniture and fitness room equipment has been ordered. Prior to opening of Sunrise Center, we will conduct pre-leasing activities from a professional office located in a nearby office building owned by an affiliate of MRC Aurora. FPI, our independent property manager, is the biggest manager in northern California in terms of units managed. The project has had minimal overruns - right now we forecast a total use of only 23% of the contingencies provided in our budget. Next month we expect to commence drawing on our construction loan facility, as we will have invested our $12.5M cash equity. Our lender is Valley Strong Credit Union and they have already begun performing inspections so that our draw process is expected to be smooth. Market occupancies for similar projects are maintaining at 95% occupancy, including Nova, the newest large project in Green Valley which has now stabilized its 281 units at that 95% level. Rents in this market increased by 25% between 2021 and 2023. Rents pulled back a bit at the end of 2023, but have resumed a positive trend and are now just about 3% off the rental peak established in 2023. We believe there is not enough new product in this growth market to satisfy demand."

09:31 EST Star Fashion Culture Holdings Ltd trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:25 EST Fortune Brands Innovations to consolidate U.S. regional offices - Fortune Brands Innovations announced the company is consolidating its U.S. regional offices into one campus headquarters in Deerfield, Illinois. By the end of 2027, the company will have capacity for over 1,000 professional associates based in its new Deerfield headquarters. This includes associates who relocate from one of FBIN's current offices as well as roles newly hired in the Chicago area.

09:19 EST Sealsq will showcase live demonstration of PQC-optimized secure hardware - SEALSQ will showcase a live demonstration of its PQC-optimized secure hardware platform during the Quantum Security Roundtable at Davos 2025. This milestone demonstration solidifies SEALSQ's position as a global leader in quantum-resilient technology, aligning with the urgent need for secure solutions in the era of quantum computing. The Quantum Security Roundtable will take place on January 22, 2025, at the Davos Congress Centre in Davos, Switzerland. Organized by Microsoft, WISeKey, and the Cybersecurity Tech Accord-an alliance of leading tech companies committed to improving cybersecurity-the event brings together industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators to discuss the future of quantum technologies and their implications for global security.

09:14 EST Sack Lunch Productions eliminates $7.869M debt - Sack Lunch Productions said, "We have successfully negotiated a settlement with the State of North Carolina, modifying the terms of a default judgment related to a previously canceled event due to regulatory changes in North Carolina's fire code. This settlement marks a turning point for SAKL, as we have agreed to pay a total of $95,607 over time to satisfy certain claims. The agreement was signed on December 5, 2024, and the modified judgment, which dramatically reduced the penalty portion of damages from $7,884,393 to just $15,000, was signed by the court on January 16, 2025."

09:10 EST Blackstone and Vista Equity Partners acquire Smartsheet in $8.4B deal - Smartsheet, the AI enhanced enterprise grade work management platform, today announced the completion of its acquisition by funds managed by Blackstone and Vista Equity Partners in a transaction valued at approximately $8.4B B The transaction was previously announced on September 24 , and approved by Smartsheet stockholders on December 9, 2024. With the completion of the take private transaction, Smartsheet stockholders are entitled to receive $56.50 in cash for each share of Smartsheet common stock they owned immediately prior to the closing. Smartsheet's stock has ceased trading, and the company is no longer listed on the New York Stock Exchange. "We are so pleased to reach another significant milestone, and look forward with optimism to the next chapter for Smartsheet," stated Mark Mader, President and CEO of Smartsheet. "Working alongside industry powerhouses Blackstone and Vista, Smartsheet can invest with a long-term horizon to the benefit of our customers, partners and team."

09:08 EST Altamira enters collaboration on radiopharmaceutical targeting strategies - Altamira Therapeutics has entered into a collaboration agreement with a company in the radiopharmaceutical sector to evaluate the use of the Company's proprietary RNA delivery platform for radiopharmaceutical targeting. Radiopharmaceutical therapy uses tiny amounts of radioactive compounds to diagnose and treat various diseases, in particular cancer. Once injected into the patient, the radiopharmaceutical finds its way to the tumor through the bloodstream and binds to a tumor-specific receptor. Under the terms of the agreement, Altamira and its project collaboration partner intend to test in vitro and in vivo the use of nanoparticles with an undisclosed RNA payload in conjunction with one of the partner's proprietary radiopharmaceuticals. Upon successful conclusion of the experiments, the partner will, under certain conditions, have the option to negotiate with Altamira a license and supply agreement to develop and commercialize the RNA nanoparticles for use in cancer treatment.

09:07 EST Reading International reports strong 2024 holiday box office results - Reading International announced that its global cinema operations achieved several box office records over the November and December 2024 holiday period driven by the release of a variety of Hollywood blockbusters, including Wicked, Moana 2, Gladiator II, Mufasa: The Lion King and Sonic the Hedgehog 3. The company's specialty theaters, trading under the Angelika brand, likewise enjoyed a strong box office from award winning movies like The Brutalist, Anora, The Room Next Door, Queer and A Real Pain.

09:04 EST SAP and Qualtrics announce partnership - Qualtrics and SAP announced a new partnership helping organizations bring together the power of SAP SuccessFactors and Qualtrics XM for Employee Experience to improve employee experience, reduce unwanted employee attrition, retain and develop top performers, improve employee engagement, and increase productivity. Under the new SAP Endorsed Apps agreement, organizations using SAP SuccessFactors will be able to contract Qualtrics XM for Employee Experience to access the latest innovations including People Engage, People Lifecycle, and Employee Technology Experience - equipping them with capabilities to engage teams, improve manager effectiveness, and make informed people decisions.

09:03 EST Clearwater Analytics says Security Mutual Group chooses platform - Clearwater Analytics announced that Security Mutual Group has chosen its platform to enhance performance attribution, risk analysis, and decision-making capabilities to drive improved returns and reduced risk. Security Mutual will leverage the Clearwater platform to complete advanced analytics that will deliver a deeper understanding of performance drivers and detailed risk simulations. Operating across asset classes, multiple scenarios such as different interest rates, varying credit spreads, and volatile foreign exchange rates can all be assessed and analyzed. Additionally, the platform enables historical scenario testing to evaluate how strategies might fare under past market conditions. Combined with seamless, tailored data ingestion and aggregation, these analysis capabilities will provide Security Mutual with the tools to make confident, data-driven decisions and eliminate inefficiencies.

09:02 EST Wearable Devices announces general availability of Mudra Link - Wearable Devices announced the general availability of its Mudra Link, the first neural wristband for Android, macOS and Windows devices. The Mudra Link was showcased at CES 2025 and recognized with an Innovation Awards in the XR Technologies & Accessories category.

08:52 EST Procter & Gamble seeing consumer environment stabilizing in Europe

08:50 EST Itron, Encycle enters collaboration to enhance energy management - Encycle Technologies announced a strategic collaboration with Itron. The goal of the collaboration is to revolutionize energy management for commercial customers by reducing HVAC energy load during peak demand periods, which will increase grid reliability and reduce grid stress.The collaboration between Encycle and Itron empowers utilities to take advantage of a wide variety of distributed energy resources and demand flexible devices to assist with grid balancing while reducing the risk of stranded assets for the utility. The companies will accelerate the adoption of grid-connected smart energy products and more cost-effective programs by integrating open standards into a platform that automates every phase of DERs and active load management programs aimed at commercial and industrial energy management initiatives. Using OpenADR technology, Encycle's Swarm Logic HVAC optimization software now integrates with Itron's Distributed Energy Management System, allowing businesses to proactively manage their HVAC energy load during peak demand hours.

08:45 EST P&G: Exchange rates have moved 'sharply against us' since last quarter

08:43 EST Gladstone Commercial provides recap of 2024 business developments - The company said, "Gladstone Commercial Corporation reported another successful year of investing, leasing, and disposition activity in the net lease space. We continue to create shareholder value by increasing our industrial exposure and disposing of non-core office assets. In December 2024, we closed on a $75M private placement of 6.47% senior unsecured notes due December 18, 2029. The ability to execute follow-on issuances will add a new and efficient financing source to facilitate growing our industrial portfolio. We completed $26.8M in new acquisitions across seven industrial properties totaling 316,727 square feet. At closing, these properties had a weighted average lease term of more than 20 years. The transactions were completed in established, growing industrial markets, including southern Pennsylvania, Midland, Texas, and St. Louis, Missouri. We increased portfolio industrial concentration as a percentage of annualized straight line rent to 63% as of December 31, 2024, as compared to 60% as of December 31, 2023. During 2024 we renewed or extended 2,940,209 square feet of leases at 11 of our properties. These leases resulted in a $3.8M net increase in GAAP rent. We sold seven properties consisting of five office and two medical office properties. We increased occupancy to 98.7% as of December 31, 2024, from 96.8% as of December 31, 2023. As of December 31, 2024, we had $93M in available liquidity via our revolving credit facility and cash on hand."

08:41 EST Vimeo to sponsor Short Film Program at 2025 Sundance Film Festival - Vimeo announced its sponsorship of the Short Film Program at the Sundance Film Festival. These shorts will screen as part of eight curated Short Film Programs that will include fiction, nonfiction, and animated titles from the U.S. and abroad. The Festival will take place in person from January 23-February 2, 2025, in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah. A selection of titles will be available online from January 30-February 2, 2025, for audiences nationwide to discover bold, independent storytelling.

08:40 EST Johnson & Johnson says positioned for 5%-7% growth through 2030 and beyond - Says starting 2025 from a position of strength. Says invested ~$50B in R&D and M&A in 2024. Says continues to invest in R&D at "competitive levels." Says continues to prioritize investment in innovation. Says plans to increase dividend annually. Says will have "heightened focus" on cash flow generation in 2025. Expects 2025 adjusted pre-tax operating margin to increase ~300 bps. Sees 2025 effective tax rate 16.5%-17%. Says 2025 guidance excludes impact from recently announced acquisition of Intra-Cellular Therapies (ITCI). Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

08:39 EST Mixed Martial Arts Group announces integration of BJJLink into ecosystem - Mixed Martial Arts Group announces the integration of newly acquired BJJLink into its ecosystem, a step that is set to position Mixedmartialarts.com as the cultural and commercial epicenter for martial arts worldwide. By merging BJJLink's proprietary digital tools with Mixedmartialarts.com's platform, this partnership has the potential to unlock exponential industry growth, strengthen community connections and expand monetization opportunities for practitioners, coaches, academies, and content creators

08:38 EST Goldman Sachs CEO: Energy, tariffs, immigration to impact rates - CEO David Solomon is speaking on CNBC.

08:37 EST Goldman Sachs CEO tells CNBC that U.S. economy in pretty good shape - CEO David Solomon tells CNBC in an interview that the U.S. economy is in pretty good shape heading into this administration. He said he thinks it's hard to dispute that equity multiples are high. Solomon said the equity markets exhibit a sense of optimism at the moment. Solomon also told CNBC that he sees a meaningful pick up in deal activity in 2025 and that a rebalancing of certain trade agreements over time can be constructive for U.S. growth. He said policies will have an impact on where rates will go.

08:36 EST Ormat Technologies signs 10-year PPA with Calpine Energy - Ormat Technologies announced the signing of a 10-year Power Purchase Agreement, PPA, with Calpine Energy Solutions, one of North America's largest energy suppliers. Under this agreement, Calpine Energy Solutions will purchase up to 15 megawatts of clean, renewable energy from the Mammoth 2 geothermal power plant located near Mammoth Lakes, California, to support demand within its retail portfolio.

08:34 EST MeiraGTx receives RPDD from FDA for AAV8-RK-RetGC program - MeiraGTx announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, has granted the Company Rare Pediatric Disease Designation, RPDD, to its AAV8-RK-RetGC program for the treatment of patients with Leber congenital amaurosis due to GUCY2D mutations. This is the fourth Rare Pediatric Disease Designation the Company has received in the last three months, including AAV8-RK-AIPL1 for the treatment of LCA4 retinal dystrophy, AAV8-RK-BBS10 for the treatment of Bardet-Biedl syndrome due to BBS10 mutations and AAV5-RDH12 for the treatment of RDH12 associated retinal dystrophy.

08:33 EST Inspira Technologies announces deployment of first INSPIRA ART100 systems - Inspira Technologies Oxy announced that its INSPIRA ART100 systems have been delivered to Glo-Med Networks and are now being prepared for their first planned deployment at a leading U.S. hospital. The deployment will include direct support from Inspira's team alongside Glo-Med's experts, ensuring a seamless integration of the revolutionary life-support technology into clinical use. The delivered INSPIRA ART100 systems, as previously announced on December 16, 2024, will be distributed to sales targets across hospitals on the U.S. east coast and distributed to a cardiothoracic surgery division at a leading New York hospital, ranked among the top 15 percent of cardiothoracic programs in the U.S., with a view to collaborating with such hospital. The Company believes that the delivery of the INSPIRA ART100 to the U.S. market serves the Company's goal well to introduce physicians and perfusionists to Inspira's technologies and brand via initial deployments at leading hospitals. Designed in collaboration with leading U.S. clinicians, the INSPIRA ART100 cardiopulmonary bypass system revolutionizes extracorporeal blood circulation

08:32 EST Paramount Group sells 45% interest in office building in Midtown Manhattan - Paramount Group announced that it has sold a 45% interest in 900 Third Avenue, a 600,000 square foot Class A office building located on Third Avenue between 54th and 55th Streets in Midtown Manhattan, at a gross asset valuation of $210M. Paramount will continue to own the remaining 55% interest and manage and lease the property.

08:31 EST Biodexa Pharmaceuticals appoints Shangold as Chief Medical Officer - Biodexa Pharmaceuticals (BDRX) announced the appointment of Dr Gary Shangold as Chief Medical Officer with immediate effect. Most recently, Shangold was Chief Medical Officer of Enteris BioPharma, a wholly owned subsidiary of SWK Holdings Corporation (SWKH).

08:26 EST WiSA Technologies furthers its VerifyUTM commercialization strategy with NFLA - WiSA Technologies which closed its purchase of Datavault and ADIO IP and IT assets, and is leading the way in data visualization, valuation, and monetization, furthers its VerifyUTM commercialization strategy that was announced by the National Football League Alumni NFLA . The Web 3.0 project is with the historic and World-renowned NFLA in a 3-year deal. "We are focused on the immediate commercialization of VerifyU, Data Vault, ADIO and our WiSA families of technologies that will be introduced through NFLA, and we are honored to initiate our work with this agreement," said Nathaniel Bradley, CEO of WiSA Technologies. "This agreement leverages VerifyU, our patented blend of Data Vault and ADIO, as an advertising platform that we will monetize as a percentage of sales in a split with the NFLA." "This groundbreaking partnership with Datavault AI is a pivotal advancement in our efforts to empower NFL Alumni by adding a crucial building block to our Name, Image, and Likeness vertical," stated Brad Edwards, CEO of the NFL Alumni Association. "This collaboration not only enhances access to benefits but also creates new revenue streams, ensuring our members can leverage their legacies and continue to thrive beyond their playing careers."

08:21 EST United States Antimony provides operational update on Madero Smelter - United States Antimony is providing an operational update on its Madero, Mexico Smelter. The company said, "Last week, a management team comprised of five members of the company, traveled to our 100% owned Madero Smelter, located in the state of Coahuila in Mexico. The purpose of the trip was to perform a complete operational review and assessment of improvements required to get this facility up and running again as quickly as possible. Initial plans are for the Madero Smelter to process antimony ore in an amount approximating 100 tons per month. The first international supply of raw antimony ore contracted by the Company is on the water and scheduled to arrive in Mexico sometime in early March 2025. There currently exists a total of 17 furnaces at this facility, three large and 14 small furnaces. After meeting with several different qualified Mexican contractors this past week, repairs and refurbishment of at least six of these furnaces will be made over the next 30 days. Additional replacement and repairs include air compressors, construction of air control plenum systems, tilting of certain furnaces, etc. While the Madero Smelter is currently operational, part of this capital expenditure program, estimated to be less than $1M, is also geared to more streamline antimony feedstock in a faster, more mechanical, and less human interaction manner. This will allow the Company to gradually increase throughput in the future."

08:19 EST Ensysce Biosciences announces interim data for PF614-MPAR - Ensysce Biosciences announced interim data from its second clinical trial to evaluate PF614-MPAR for overdose protection. Clinical study PF614-MPAR-102, 'A Single and Multiple Dose Study to Evaluate the Pharmacokinetics of Oxycodone and PF614 when PF614 Capsule is Co-Administered with Nafamostat as a Combination of Immediate Release Solution and Extended Release Capsule Formulations in Healthy Subjects,' was designed to evaluate the full dosage range of PF614-MPAR, study potential food effects, and to conduct a multiple ascending dose study with the final PF614-MPAR combination. In 2024, PF614-MPAR received Breakthrough Therapy designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and had its development bolstered by a $14 million multi-year award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to continue studying the PF614-MPAR overdose protection observed in an initial clinical study, PF614-MPAR-101. The PF614-MPAR-102 study showed that a 100 mg dosage form of PF614-MPAR provides overdose protection when a greater-than-prescribed dose is consumed at one time. Subjects were studied as their own control and received three doses of the overdose-protected PF614-MPAR versus PF614. The subjects receiving the MPAR product had a significantly lower total maximum blood concentration of oxycodone compared to PF614 alone, an indication of overdose protection. As designed, subjects who received a single 100 mg dose of PF614 or PF614 MPAR showed no difference in Cmax values. Additionally, safety data from the trial showed that there were no unexpected adverse events from either PF614 or PF614-MPAR. The trial will now continue to enroll the final cohorts of Part 1 of the study and then move to Part 2, which is designed to examine potential food effects. Part 3 will then evaluate repeat dosing of PF614 vs. PF614-MPAR over 4.5 days. The aggregation of interim data allows the Company to focus on perfecting a final drug product to move to commercialization.

08:15 EST FlexShopper appoints McCrory as independent board member - FlexShopper announced that it has appointed Patrick McCrory as an independent board member. In addition, FlexShopper announced the retirement of T. Scott King from the Company's Board of Directors effective January 20.

08:15 EST Altus Power announces new 1.7 MW solar project in Northern California - Altus Power announced the completion of a 1.7 MW rooftop solar project at 700 Crocker Drive in Vacaville, CA, an 839,000 square foot distribution center. The solar array, part of California's Net Energy Metering 2.0 program, is designed to meet nearly 80% of the distribution center's annual energy consumption, providing the power it generates at a discounted rate. It is also expected to reduce emissions by 1,000 metric tons of CO2 annually and 35,000 metric tons over its useful life. "Projects like this showcase the dual benefits of commercial-scale solar," said Brett Phillips, Altus Power's Director of Western US. "The project will deliver clean energy over its 35-year useful life to the facility while also reducing operating costs for users and increasing asset value for the property owner. We're proud to support the facility's sustainability goals and promote the value of renewable energy across the state of California."

08:14 EST Semtech achieves 5G RedCap certification with AT&T - Semtech Corporation (SMTC) announced a key milestone in 5G RedCap or reduced capacity, rollout. The company's EM8695 5G RedCap module, powered by the Snapdragon X35 5G Modem-RF System, has earned FCC and PTCRB certifications, paving the way for carrier certifications across North America. Additionally, successful testing and certification on AT&T's (T) RedCap network underscores the module's readiness to enable robust and scalable 5G RedCap connectivity. These achievements mark a critical step toward enabling widespread adoption of 5G RedCap technology for mid-range IoT applications, including wearable, wireless industrial sensors, video surveillance, asset tracking and mid-speed computing devices.

08:13 EST Blackboxstocks secures financing up to $2M in anticipation of potential merger - Blackboxstocks entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement pursuant to which the Purchaser agreed to purchase from the Company senior debentures having an aggregate principal amount of $250,000 and amended and restated senior secured convertible debentures having an aggregate principal amount of $2,000,000 upon certain closing conditions applicable to the Initial Debentures and Additional Debentures, respectively. The Initial Closing of $250,000 was consummated on January 17, 2025. The Initial Debentures bear interest at a rate of 7.00% per annum and will mature on the earlier to occur of the date on which a definitive agreement relating to any "Merger Transaction" or March 15, 2025. At the Additional Closing, the Initial Debentures will be exchanged for the Additional Debentures as senior indebtedness secured by a first priority security interest on substantially all of the assets of the Company. The aggregate principal amount of the Additional Debentures will be $2,000,000 which will be funded by the Purchaser with $250,000 in principal amount credited from the exchange of Initial Debentures, $500,000 upon execution and delivery of a Merger Agreement, $750,000 upon the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission of a registration statement on Form S-4 in connection with the Merger Transaction, and $500,000 upon the registration statement being declared effective. The Additional Debentures will bear interest at a rate of 7.00% per annum and will mature on the earlier of the closing of the Merger Transaction or 12 months following the issuance of the Additional Debentures. On the Maturity Date, the Company will repay the aggregate accrued interest and principal amount of the Additional Debentures, and the Additional Debentures may not be prepaid without the written consent of the holders thereof. In the event the Additional Debentures are repaid in cash, the holders shall receive a premium equal to 115% of the outstanding principal and accrued interest balance due on such date. In the event the Additional Debentures are not repaid on the Maturity Date, subject to certain limitations and absence of an event of default, the holders may convert the aggregate principal amount and accrued interest of the Additional Debentures into Company common stock at the conversion price, which will be 175% of the closing price of the Company's common stock on the trading day immediately prior to the execution of the Additional Debentures with a minimum price of $5.00 per share of common stock. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Additional Debentures will not be convertible into Company common stock if, after such conversion, the holders would beneficially own more than 9.9% of the Company common stock outstanding. The holders may elect to reduce such 9.9% beneficial ownership limitation to 4.9%, effective immediately upon such election.

08:12 EST Pliant Therapeutics appoints Imbert as Chief Technical Officer - Pliant Therapeutics announced the appointment of Delphine Imbert, Ph.D. as Chief Technical Officer. Dr. Imbert brings 25 years of product development, process optimization and manufacturing experience across multiple drug modalities, including small molecules. In this role, Dr. Imbert will lead chemistry, manufacturing and control-related activities in support of Pliant's commercial-stage readiness plan.

08:10 EST Tenax Therapeutics names Gillian Andor VP, clinical operations - Tenax Therapeutics announced the appointment of Gillian Andor, MSc, as Vice President, Clinical Operations. Andor will lead the Company's expanding Clinical Operations function in support of the ongoing Phase 3 program evaluating oral levosimendan for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension due to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. She served most recently as Interim Head, Clinical Development Operations with Noema Pharma.

08:08 EST Rigel Pharmaceuticals enrolls first patient in Phase 1 study of fostamatinib - Rigel Pharmaceuticals announced the first patient has been enrolled in a Phase 1 study evaluating the safety and tolerability of escalating doses of fostamatinib, the company's oral spleen tyrosine kinase, or SYK, inhibitor, in patients with sickle cell disease, or SCD. The study is being sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, or NHLBI, part of the National Institute of Health, or NIH. Fostamatinib, marketed in the U.S. as TAVALISSE, or fostamatinib disodium hexahydrate, tablets, is approved for the treatment of adult patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenia, or ITP, who have had an insufficient response to a previous treatment. This open label Phase 1 dose-escalation study is expected to enroll approximately 20 patients with SCD. The trial is led by principal investigator Swee Lay Thein, senior investigator and chief of the Sickle Cell Branch at the NHLBI. Patients will receive oral fostamatinib at a dose of 100 mg twice daily for 14 days, which will be escalated to 150 mg twice daily for an additional 28 days if tolerated. The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the safety and tolerability of fostamatinib. The secondary and exploratory objectives are to assess the mechanism of action of fostamatinib in SCD and mechanistic effects of fostamatinib mediated SYK inhibition on red blood cell membrane integrity and deformability, rate of sickling kinetics, platelet activation and aggregation, and neutrophil activation and neutrophil extracellular trap formation. The clinical study is being conducted at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland and is being funded and sponsored by the NIH/NHLBI, with study material provided by Rigel. Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic hemoglobinopathy that leads to the production of abnormal hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen through the body. Normally, red blood cells are disc-shaped and flexible enough to move easily through the blood vessels. In sickle cell disease, red blood cells become rigid and crescent - or "sickle" - shaped, leading to strokes, infections, vaso-occlusive crises and multi-organ dysfunction.

08:08 EST TD Bank comments on expected impact of Charles Schwab's Q4 earnings - TD Bank Group (TD) announced that it expects The Charles Schwab's (SCHW) fourth quarter earnings to translate into approximately C$231M of reported equity in net income of an investment in Schwab for the Bank's fiscal 2025 first quarter. Excluding amortization of acquired intangibles of approximately C$26M after-tax, adjusted equity in net income of an investment in Schwab will be approximately C$257M.

08:07 EST Avadel names Sev Melkonian as VP, patient services, distribution, reimbursement - Avadel Pharmaceuticals (AVDL) announced that Sev Melkonian has joined the company as Vice President of Patient Services, Distribution, and Reimbursement. Most recently, he led Patient Access Partner Operations at Takeda Pharmaceuticals (TAK), where he directed teams in support of Takeda's USBU Portfolio including Rare Disease Patient Services Programs.

08:06 EST ICE reports record 2B futures and options traded in 2024 - Intercontinental Exchange announced that a record 2 B futures and options traded on ICE in 2024, marking the highest volume year in ICE's history, including a record 1.2 billion commodity contracts and a record 753 M interest rate derivatives contracts. "We thank our customers for making 2024 the best year in ICE's history by futures and options trading volume, which shows the scale of risk management which derivatives markets support," said Trabue Bland, SVP of Futures Markets at ICE. "We have worked for over 25 years to build out the scope and depth of ICE's multi-asset and multi-geography offering to allow for both flexibility and precision trading from wherever in th...ICE's multi-currency European, U.K. and Swiss interest rate markets, including the benchmarks Euribor, EUR STR, SONIA and SARON as well as Gilts, the benchmark for the U.K. government bond yield curve, reached record traded volume in 2024. This included a record 467Mn Euribor futures and options contracts and a record 186M SONIA futures and options contracts.

08:05 EST ViaSat restructures senior executive team, president Guru Gowrappan to depart - Viasat announced a restructuring of its Senior Executive Team to better position the company for long-term growth. Craig Miller, currently President of Global Space Networks, will become Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives. In his new role, Miller will work closely with Mark Dankberg, Viasat's Chairman of the Board and CEO, regarding strategic growth initiatives. Girish Chandran, currently Chief Technology Officer, will take on additional responsibilities as President of Global Space Networks. Additionally, as part of the reorganization, Guru Gowrappan, currently President, will be leaving the company, after serving in an advisory role through April to ensure a smooth transition. Moving forward, the company has no current plans to replace the role of President.

08:04 EST Civista Bancshares appoints Charles Parcher as Chief Lending Officer - Civista Bancshares announced that Charles A. Parcher will assume the role of Executive Vice President & Chief Lending Officer of Civista Bancshares, and President & Chief Lending Officer of Civista Bank. Dennis G. Shaffer will continue to serve as CEO & President of Civista Bancshares, Inc. and CEO of Civista Bank. This leadership transition reflects the organization's commitment to stability, growth, and a strong future, ensuring its continued ability to effectively serve its customers, employees, and shareholders. Parcher joined Civista in 2016 and has over 36 years of banking experience. Prior to becoming Chief Lending Officer, he held several prominent roles, including Market President for FirstMerit in Northwest Ohio, Executive Vice President at Sky Bank overseeing commercial banking operations in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan, and Senior Vice President and Commercial Region Manager at Huntington Bank.

08:03 EST MidAmerica Cancer Care jois American Oncology Network - MidAmerica Cancer Care announced it has joined American Oncology Network. This partnership enables MACC to expand its patient-focused services, grow its clinical trial offerings, and pursue new market opportunities, while continuing to provide the high-quality, compassionate care that has been a hallmark of the practice since it opened in 2019.

08:02 EST Conduit Pharmaceuticals partners with Agility Life Sciences - Conduit Pharmaceuticals entered into a strategic services agreement with formulation development CDMO Agility Life Sciences to develop new solid oral-dosage form products of its autoimmune pipeline for use in future clinical trials. Conduit has developed a series of novel, advantageous solid forms of all its autoimmune pipeline assets, each protected by newly established composition-of-matter intellectual property. Leveraging Agility's extensive formulation expertise, Conduit believes this collaboration will focus on utilizing these proprietary forms to develop enhanced oral dosage forms for each asset. These dosage forms, designed with patient preferences and disease-specific needs in mind, are intended to allow Conduit to maximize the market potential of each asset while being underpinned by robust composition of matter IP. As part of its focus on acquiring Phase 2-ready assets, Conduit's pipeline includes several candidates that already have clinically tested oral formulations. This enables the Company to efficiently advance into Phase 2 trials using existing data packages. In parallel with ongoing autoimmune clinical trial plans, Conduit will work with Agility to develop enhanced proprietary oral dosage formulations for each asset. This dual-track approach is intended to strengthen market protection, enhance market value, and optimize the positioning of each asset for future licensing opportunities.

08:02 EST Scilex announces U.S. FDA acknowledged submission of SNDA for ELYXYB - Scilex Holding announced that the U.S. FDA has acknowledged the submission of our Supplemental New Drug Application, SNDA, for ELYXYB in acute pain indication.

07:58 EST e& collaborates with IBM to deploy AI governance solution - e&, a global technology group, has collaborated with IBM to deploy a pioneering, end-to-end, multi-model Artificial Intelligence, or AI, and Generative AI governance solution. Announced today at the World Economic Forum 2025 in Davos, this collaboration intends to enhance e&'s AI governance framework to promote compliance, oversight, and ethical practices across its growing AI ecosystem, reinforcing e&'s commitment to establishing robust governance, risk management, and regulatory oversight across its AI usage. The solution will leverage IBM's watsonx.governance enterprise AI and data governance platform, combined with IBM Consulting's expertise in AI implementation, build on e&'s commitment to scale AI responsibly and track ROI while addressing compliance requirements, transparency, and ethical oversight of AI models. IBM Consulting will be working closely with e& to design and implement a comprehensive AI governance framework tailored to e&'s requirements. This includes defining workflows and key performance indicators and onboarding existing AI models onto the platform to deliver real-time insights into AI's value, impact, and potential risks. The deployment will also utilize IBM Consulting Advantage, an AI-powered delivery platform, to accelerate the development of the AI governance framework through persona and journey mapping, market research, architecture patterns for AI integration, and knowledge transfer materials.

07:56 EST MP Materials restores U.S. rare earth magnet supply chain - MP Materials has reached a milestone in restoring the U.S. rare earth magnet supply chain. The company's Independence facility in Fort Worth, Texas, has commenced commercial production of neodymium-praseodymium metal and trial production of automotive-grade, sintered neodymium-iron-boron magnets.

07:53 EST Armada Hoffler executes two retail leases in Town Center of Virginia Beach - Armada Hoffler completed two significant new retail leases at Columbus Village in the Town Center of Virginia Beach district. The Company executed a 14,000-square-foot lease with a prominent grocer and a 19,000-square-foot lease with a national sporting goods retailer. These two credit tenants will backfill substantially all of the space previously occupied by Bed Bath & Beyond. In the 18 months since Bed Bath & Beyond closed, the Company has now backfilled both spaces previously occupied by the retailer, having also re-leased the space at Patterson Place to another national credit tenant.

07:46 EST Rail Vision signs binding MOU with Sujan Ventures - Rail Vision Ltd. announced the signing of a binding Memorandum of Understanding with Sujan Ventures, a division of the Sujan Group. Under the terms of the binding MOU, Sujan Ventures will lead local efforts to introduce Rail Vision's advanced safety systems to the Indian market. As an initial step, Rail Vision will conduct a short trial of its systems at the customer's facilities to demonstrate their capabilities. Following satisfaction and approval of Sujan Venture's customers, the parties intend to proceed with a definitive agreement to advance their collaboration. Sujan Ventures shall make an initial upfront payment to the Company and will make additional payments upon the completion of certain milestones. In addition, during the term of the MOU, Sujan Ventures shall have the exclusive right to negotiate and enter an agreement to distribute the Company's solutions in India.

07:40 EST GameSquare ends Standby Equity Purchase Agreement with Yorkville - GameSquare Holdings has extinguished its outstanding convertible note and standby equity purchase agreement with Yorkville Advisors Global. Under the strategic transaction, GameSquare has issued a zero-coupon, 60-day promissory note to Yorkville associated with a prepayment penalty of $780,000. GameSquare intends to pay off this balance using existing cash on its balance sheet. Additionally, all shares previously owned by Yorkville, were purchased by outside investors in block transactions that occurred on January 21, 2025.

07:38 EST SeaStar Medical activates 15th site for adult acute kidney injury trial - SeaStar Medical announces that Mayo Clinic is now cleared to enroll subjects in the company's NEUTRALIZE-AKI pivotal trial, increasing the number of activated sites to 15. "We are thrilled to activate another large academic center to our study," said Kevin Chung, MD, Chief Medical Officer of SeaStar Medical. "Enrollment in the trial currently stands at 76 with six subjects enrolled since the first of the year. We look forward to our next major milestone of reaching our 100th subject for our interim analysis soon."

07:36 EST Rekor Scout certified for New Jersey's public safety initiative - Rekor Systems has achieved New Jersey's certification for its Rekor Scout vehicle recognition platform. The company said, "This milestone secures Rekor's strong position in the New Jersey Statewide Networked ALPR Program, a key initiative enhancing public safety through advanced Automatic License Plate Recognition technology. Supported by over $13 million in state funding, including a $10 million grant for ALPR deployment, NJ SNAP is a statewide initiative designed to enhance public safety by deploying cutting-edge Automatic License Plate Recognition technology."

07:32 EST Streamline Health announces fourth community works RevID contract - Streamline Health Solutions, announced that it has signed a new contract for the use of RevID with a 120-bed, Oracle Health-EHR based health system with facilities in Kentucky. Closed in partnership with Oracle Health, this agreement marks Streamline Health's fourth CommunityWorks Oracle EHR client-an important milestone underscoring the growing adoption of its pre-bill technology solution.

07:29 EST CardWorks to acquire Ally Financial's credit card business - Ally Financial and CardWorks announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement for CardWorks and its wholly-owned bank subsidiary, Merrick Bank, to acquire Ally's credit card business, including a portfolio of $2.3B in credit card receivables with 1.3M active cardholders as of Dec. 31, 2024. Ally and CardWorks will work together to ensure a smooth transition for customers and employees. The transaction is expected to close in 2025, subject to the completion of customary closing conditions.

07:14 EST Ryvyl signs MOU with securityholder to retire 8% senior convertible note - RYVYL has entered into a new non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with a securityholder of the Company, replacing a previously announced Memorandum of Understanding, which expired on November 29, 2024 for the full repayment and termination of an 8% Senior Convertible Note and the redemption of all shares of the Company's Series B Convertible Preferred Stock. The New MOU provides for: A first tranche payment of $13M for the redemption of all of the shares of Preferred Stock held by the Securityholder, and payment of a portion of the outstanding balance of the Note so that the remaining outstanding principal balance will be $4M. Advancing the maturity date for the remaining balance of $4M due under the Note, following payment of the first tranche, to April 30, 2025. The Company is required to execute definitive agreements with the Securityholder and pay the first tranche payment of $13M on or before January 27, 2025, or the New MOU will expire and the transactions contemplated under the New MOU will not be completed. The first tranche due date may be extended to February 3, 2025, at the sole option of the Company, in consideration for RYVYL's payment of an additional $50,000. Upon payment of the first tranche payment and execution of the Definitive Agreements, certain restrictive covenants contained in the transaction documents pursuant to which the Note and the shares of Preferred Stock were issued will be waived, as long as the Company pays the remaining $4M principal balance of the Note on or before April 30, 2025. If the Company fails to pay the remaining balance by such date, all restrictive covenants will go back into effect. Prior to payment of the first tranche payment, the Securityholder shall retain the ability, subject to certain market limitations, to convert the Note and the Preferred Stock into common stock.

07:12 EST Clearside Biomedical announces ARCATUS approved in Australia, Singapore - Clearside Biomedical announced that Arctic Vision's new drug applications for ARCATUS have been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia and the Health Sciences Authority in Singapore for the treatment of uveitic macular edema, UME. George Lasezkay, PharmD, JD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Clearside, commented, "We congratulate our partner, Arctic Vision, for the outstanding progress advancing our product in the Asia-Pacific region. These global regulatory approvals confirm that our innovative SCS delivery platform enables the treatment of patients with sight-threatening eye diseases. We expect that retinal specialists across the world will use this in-office, repeatable, non-surgical procedure for the targeted and compartmentalized delivery of a wide variety of potential therapies."

07:10 EST D-Wave Quantum introduces Leap Quantum LaunchPad program - D-Wave Quantum announced the introduction of the new Leap Quantum LaunchPad program, an initiative designed to accelerate the deployment of quantum computing applications. The program offers free trial access to D-Wave technology. The program is designed to accelerate the exploration, development, and implementation of quantum and hybrid-quantum applications by providing participants access to D-Wave technology and support resources for a three-month free trial period, including: D-Wave Advantage production-grade annealing quantum computers, with 5,000+ qubits, and sub-second solve times; D-Wave's Leap real-time quantum cloud service, which provides 99.9% uptime and availability, security and scalability, developer tools, and a suite of advanced optimization hybrid solvers; Technical guidance from D-Wave quantum and optimization experts. D-Wave also announced expanded quantum technology access for its Quantum Programming Core and Quick Start Training programs, which offer training. Participants enrolled in the training programs will now receive increased access to D-Wave annealing quantum computing technology.

07:09 EST Usana appoints Kathryn Armstrong as Chief Scientific Officer - USANA Health Sciences announced that Kathryn Armstrong will be assuming the role of Chief Scientific Officer at the company. Kathryn has served as USANA's executive vice president of research and development since July of 2024. Kathryn's predecessor, Rob Sinnott, announced his retirement at the end of 2024, but will continue to assist in the company's pursuit for scientific excellence as its senior scientific fellow. Kathryn joins USANA with 17 years of experience working for some of the most recognizable corporations in the world. She graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a B.S. in Chemistry and earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Notre Dame. She began her professional career in 2007 at Whirlpool as a senior engineer with the Advanced Chemical Process Team and worked her way to lead engineer with the Technology and Chemical Process Group. Kathryn then joined BISSELL Homecare, in 2010 as their associate director of product attributes. Most recently, Kathryn spent nearly nine years at Amway in different roles, including as vice president of new ventures, sciences, plant, agriculture, and systems.

07:08 EST Coherus Biosciences presents final Phase 2 clinical casdozokitug data - Coherus BioSciences announced final data from its Phase 2 open label clinical trial evaluating casdozokitug, a selective and potent Interleukin (IL)-27-targeting antibody, in combination with atezolizumab and bevacizumab in treatment naive patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma. These data are being presented at the 2025 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium taking place January 23-25, 2025, in San Francisco, California. These data showed an overall response rate of 38% compared to initially announced 27%, and complete responses per RECIST v1.1 increased to 17.2% compared to previously announced 10.3% and initial assessment of 0%, demonstrating both an increase in ORR and a deepening of responses compared to previous datasets. Importantly, responses were seen in viral and nonviral disease, and toxicity was consistent with the known safety profiles of atezolizumab and bevacizumab, with no new safety signals identified.

07:06 EST Okyo Pharma receives $1.4M in non-dilutive financing - OKYO Pharma has received $1.4M in non-dilutive funding. The company said, "This significant financial funding strengthens the Company's ability to advance its innovative pipeline without diluting shareholder value. The funding will be strategically allocated to support ongoing research and development initiatives, with particular emphasis on fueling progress with OKYO's lead program, OK-101 focused on treating NCP, a major unmet medical need."

07:05 EST Helius Medical announces statistically significant find in DGI in PoNSTEP study - Helius Medical Technologies announced positive results from the PoNS Therapeutic Experience Program, or PoNSTEP, study for people with multiple sclerosis. PoNSTEP Results: There were statistically significant findings in DGI during Phase 1 and Phase 2 among the 38 subjects who completed the treatment protocol for a total mean improvement of 5.00 at week 14. In Phase 2, average therapy adherence 71% and gait improvement was linearly associated with adherence, while, in Phase 1 adherence, was 89.5% and, consequently, not associated with improvement. In addition to mean 2.5 points improvement in DGI achieved in Phase 1, Phase 2, participants with greater than or equal to85% adherence improved mean 3.7 points; those with less than85% adherence improved mean 2.0 points, and the difference was statistically significant. 28 of 41 participants who completed the 14-wk therapy were reassessed at 6-months and only 1 of 28 showed greater than or equal to 30% decline in DGI. Mean decline in DGI was -4.1 with the 95% CI's lower bound showing statistically reliable evidence that the true mean decline was no more than -9.4%.

07:04 EST Mobix Lab buys electrical components firm SCP Manufacturing for cash/stock - "Mobix Labs has unveiled another game-changing move with its acquisition of SCP Manufacturing, a Nevada-based producer of mission-critical electrical components for aerospace, defense, and commercial applications. This strategic deal, the company's second strategic acquisition in just 60 days, is expected to close in Q2 2025 and will amplify Mobix Labs' operational efficiency, gross margins, and market dominance in high-growth industries. "Our agreement to acquire SCP Manufacturing underscores Mobix Labs' determination to redefine the aerospace and defense landscape. With SCP's engineering and manufacturing capabilities, and a track record of excellence, Mobix Labs gains access to technologies essential for advanced military and commercial systems," said Fabian Battaglia, CEO of Mobix Labs. SCP is a key supplier of mission critical products to Spacecraft Components, which Mobix Labs agreed to acquire in November 2024...The acquisition will be financed through a mix of cash and equity with earnout provisions, subject to final due diligence and board approvals. Details will be finalized closer to the expected closing date in the second quarter-2025," said Mobix in a release...

06:31 EST Grocery Outlet names Jason Potter as CEO, effective February 3 - Grocery Outlet announced the appointment of Jason Potter as the company's President and CEO, effective February 3. Potter will also join the company's Board of Directors. Potter brings more than 30 years of grocery retail experience and a track record of driving earnings growth and shareholder value. He joins Grocery Outlet from The Fresh Market, a specialty grocery retailer of fresh, gourmet food and prepared meals, where he has served as CEO and a board member since March 2020.

06:18 EST Emeren announces sale of 17 MW operational solar portfolio in Poland - Emeren announced the sale of a 17 MW operational solar portfolio in Poland, composed of a previously announced 15 MW under a power purchase agreement, or PPA, and an additional two MW, all developed and constructed by Emeren and sold together as a package deal. It supports Poland's climate goals and energy transition by integrating renewable energy into the grid.

06:13 EST Mega Matrix announces FlexTV, Telkomsel launch bundling package - Mega Matrix announced that its short drama streaming platform, FlexTV has teamed up with Telkomsel, Indonesia's telecommunications provider, last week to introduce the FlexTV Premium Bundling Package. This offering aims to bring high-quality vertical short drama content to Indonesian audiences.

06:08 EST Aptiv to separate its Electrical Distribution Systems business - Aptiv announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously approved a plan to separate its Electrical Distribution Systems, or EDA, business from Aptiv, creating two independent companies, each optimally positioned to serve their customers and create value for their shareholders. As separate companies, Aptiv and EDS are each expected to benefit from strategies and operating initiatives that are focused on each company's product portfolio, customer challenges, market opportunities, and financial objectives. Following the separation, Aptiv - comprising Advanced Safety & User Experience and the Engineered Components Group - will offer a full sensor-to-cloud technology stack, including industry-leading open-architected ADAS and in-cabin user experience software platforms, and a broad range of interconnects and components that optimize the distribution of signal, power, and data for next-generation applications across diverse end markets. Aptiv is targeting mid-to-high single digit revenue growth, low-to-mid teens GAAP operating income margins, high-teens-to-low-twenties Adjusted EBITDA margins, and significant free cash flow for the company. The Company estimates that Aptiv had $12.1B in revenues, including intercompany sales to EDS that are currently eliminated in consolidation, $1.4B in U.S. GAAP operating income, and $2.3B in Adjusted EBITDA for 2024, excluding the EDS business to be separated. In the medium term, Aptiv is targeting pro forma EDS to generate mid-single digit revenue growth, mid-to-high single digit GAAP operating income margins, high-single to low-double digit Adjusted EBITDA margins, and solid free cash flow. The Company estimates that EDS had $8.3 B in revenues, $400M in U.S. GAAP operating income, and $800M in Adjusted EBITDA for 2024, excluding the Aptiv business from which it will be separated. The separation transaction is expected to be effected through a spin-off of EDS, under which Aptiv shareholders will retain their current shares of Aptiv stock and receive a pro-rata dividend of shares of the new EDS company stock. The transaction is expected to be tax-free to Aptiv and its shareholders for both Swiss and U.S. federal income tax purposes. Aptiv is targeting completion of the separation by March 31, 2026, subject to final approval by Aptiv's Board of Directors and other customary conditions.

05:38 EST Fulton Financial sees FY25 net interest income $995M-$1.02B - Sees FY25 provision for credit losses $60M-$80M. Sees FY25 non-interest income $265M-$280M. Sees FY25 non-interest expense $755M-$775M. Sees FY25 effective tax rate 18%. Guidance taken from Q4 presentation slides.

05:25 EST C3 AI announces strategic alliance with McKinsey & Company - C3 AI announced in Davos a strategic alliance with McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm, to help clients and prospects across industries and geographies accelerate Enterprise AI transformations at scale. The alliance combines the technical expertise of McKinsey's AI practice, QuantumBlack, and its track record of deploying and scaling AI solutions across industries with C3 AI's Enterprise AI software applications.

05:14 EST Novocure opens new global headquarters in Switzerland - Novocure announced the official opening of its new global headquarters in the Canton of Zug, Switzerland.

05:06 EST Santech announces change of auditor, files compliance plan with Nasdaq - Santech announced that its audit committee has approved the appointment of Audit Alliance as the company's independent registered public accounting firm. The audit committee has dismissed Marcum Asia CPAs as its independent registered public accounting firm, effective from November 15, 2024. The company said its decision to change auditor was due to significant changes in the company's business focuses and scale recently as previously disclosed, and not as a result of any disagreement between the company and MarcumAsia on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedures. The audit services previously provided by MarcumAsia will be provided by Audit Alliance. Additionally, the company announced that it has submitted a compliance plan to Nasdaq to support its request for an extension of time to regain compliance with the Nasdaq continued listing requirements. In its compliance plan to Nasdaq, the company sets out the plan and timeline to file its annual report on Form 20-F for the financial year ended June 30, 2024 and become current with its reporting requirement within the discretionary period available to the Nasdaq staff to grant.